Booyah Breakdown: Ticker Ditchers

We've all been forced to show up at events we'd rather not attend, such as your spouse's best friend's birthday party or your in-laws' for the holidays. And you know the scene: The moment you arrive you're trying to figure out how to get out of there.

That's exactly how the private-equity players think when they buy a new company. "It's all about the exit," says Dennis Barsky, a private-equity partner at New York-based law firm Jones Day.

The "exit" equates to a big financial payout. Granted, they just need to turn the company around and bring the company back to the market, either through an initial public offering or a sale to another company. But they have their eyes on the prize the whole time. ...